The court record in AfriForum’s case against the R50 million Cuba donation, shows the grand total of the donation to actually be R350 million and not just R50 million. This was revealed after the civil rights organisation’s legal team requested the court record as part of its review application. According to the record, the government has agreed to a contract with the government of Cuba, in terms of which the R50 million will only be the first payment in the more than a quarter billion rand donation. AfriForum’s legal team is preparing its supplementary affidavit following receipt of the court record for its review application.

“The revelations of the court record are truly earth-shattering. It is now clear that the government is actually planning on donating more than a quarter billion rand to Cuba. This contract to donate R350 million does not accord with the laws of South Africa, and it is completely irrational to make such an exorbitant donation in these difficult times. Our government borrows money from the IMF, but then sees it fit to donate much-needed funds to Cuba. Despite this outrageous news, AfriForum is more optimistic than ever that we will succeed in stopping this donation,” says Reiner Duvenage, Campaign Officer for strategy and content at AfriForum.